


thinking of you (wherever you are)

by Serie11



Series: Femslash February 2018 [22]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Computers, Cute, Dorks in Love, F/F, GAIA Prime Is Rebuilt, Girls Kissing, HZD Week 2018, Happy Ending, Meeting the Parents, Nature, Nature or Technology, Post-Canon, Sad and Happy, Wistful, oh yeah that's what I'm about, this is a SOFT fic, this is my ultimate headcanon for these two beautiful and amazing girls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 17:44:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13792845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie11/pseuds/Serie11
Summary: Every green leaf she saw cheered her. Every soft babble of every stream she passed soothed her. These were familiar sounds, in a familiar place – she’d spent the majority of her life in the Embrace, and she knew every nook and cranny of it. Aloy had tried to avoid coming back here with all the damage that the forest had endured, but she could still remember it clearly, black leaves and twisted trees. But now, things were calm again, and green. She couldn’t be happier for it.





	thinking of you (wherever you are)

**Author's Note:**

> Cheating a little bit with this fic and combining today's prompt: meeting the parents with day two of HZD week, Nature or Technology

 

The Embrace always smelled so good in spring.

Aloy moved through the woods with a purpose. While her steps were focused, her eyes were not – she glanced at every branch and every tree, intent on the growth there. Almost two years after the Nora had been attacked and the Embrace razed, new life had almost hidden all the traces of the damage. She still remembered the dread in her heart as she had raced her way across the Sundom to the Nora’s rescue. Seeing the trees black and smoking had smote her heart. The Embrace should never have looked like that.

Every green leaf she saw cheered her. Every soft babble of every stream she passed soothed her. These were familiar sounds, in a familiar place – she’d spent the majority of her life in the Embrace, and she knew every nook and cranny of it. Aloy had tried to avoid coming back here with all the damage that the forest had endured, but she could still remember it clearly, black leaves and twisted trees. But now, things were calm again, and green. She couldn’t be happier for it.

The machines were back to normal as well, something that eased her heart immeasurably. When she came across a group of lancehorns, they all bolted as soon as she began approaching them.

“Looks like everything is going as planned, GAIA,” Aloy said.

Her focus flickered to life as GAIA’s smooth voice sounded in her ear. “The broadcasting unit in this area relayed all stand down overriding code eight days ago. So far I have had a one hundred percent reported success rate.”

“And the more dangerous machines?”

“All sawtooth, ravager and stalker units have been recalled successfully.”

Feeling better than she had in _years,_ Aloy grinned and hurried her footsteps, no longer caring if she made any sound. She had somewhere she wanted to be, and she wanted to get there _fast._

Mother’s Heart had been mostly untouched by the Eclipse raid, and as Aloy ascended towards it, she could see why. It was tucked away against the mountainside, and the Nora inside it would have had the height advantage as well as thick walls to protect them. She wouldn’t want to assault this stronghold either.

Aloy saw movement on top of the walls as she approached, the Nora waving to her. She lifted an arm in response, picking up her pace so she was almost sprinting towards the gate.

A shape shot out of the gates towards her. Aloy felt her heart lift as she saw who was coming toward her. As she got closer, Vala’s face became clearer – and so did her grin.

They collided, and Aloy felt her world shrink to the person she was holding. Vala was laughing and pressing kisses across her cheeks and forehead and nose and jaw, and Aloy was just hanging on for dear life, elated that she could finally hold Vala again, could finally smell her sharp scent and feel the coolness of her earring as it swung against her neck.

“You’re back!” Vala yelled happily.

“I’m right here!” Aloy said, laughing. “You don’t have to yell.”

Vala kissed her deep then, and Aloy lost herself in her touch, trying to drown herself in Vala’s presence. She’d missed her so much, completing her dirty, lonely work for GAIA – but she was back now, and she intended to stay by Vala’s side.

Vala’s hands threaded through her hair and Aloy sighed into her mouth softly. “I’m gross from travelling,” she chided softly. “Let me find some water and then you can have me however you’d like.”

“Hmmm, I’ll hold you to that,” Vala murmured. “Let’s go inside. I’m sure everyone is going to have something to say to you.”

Sure enough, inside Mother’s Heart Aloy was mobbed by the Nora. Most were ones that she didn’t know, but she recognised Olara and Brom chatting to Karst in the distance. Vala fended off the curious Nora and shooed them all away.

“Varl is in charge of the garrison here. I just want to let him know that you’re back, and then we can get out of here.”

Aloy couldn’t help but return Vala’s grin as they headed towards a small cabin with braves milling outside it. Aloy was surrounded in seconds with braves smiling and reaching out to touch her for a moment.

“Let us through, guys,” Vala said, a tinge of warning in her tone.

Inside the cabin, Varl was sitting around a table with two other braves. His face lit up when he saw her. “Aloy! You’ve returned!”

Aloy hugged him when he embraced her. “It’s good to see you,” she said.

Varl nodded. “And I can see that you’ve already made my sister’s acquaintance.” He stared at their joined hands, but even though his tone was strident, he was smiling.

“Varl!” Vala protested his teasing.

Varl chuckled. “Ahh, you two are cute. Let me guess, you’re going to head for Mother’s Watch?”

“Something like that,” Vala said mysteriously.

Varl raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’d better report in to Mother and the Matriarchs soon. I’m sure that rumours of Aloy’s return have already spread throughout the Embrace. Even though we already knew that you had been successful.” Varl looked at her searchingly. “No Nora has died since the machines turned docile.”

“Good,” Aloy managed to say, even though she’s choked up. Finally, the Derangement is over. Finally, no one will be in danger from the machines, ever again.

“Yep,” Vala said, satisfied. “And we _will_ check in with mum and all the Matriarchs… sometime.”

Aloy covered her mouth to hide her smile. Vala grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the cabin.

“Nothing to see here, folks!” she called out loudly. “Just another beautiful day in the Embrace, that’s right. Yes, this is the smoking hot woman who saved all our lives like seven times, yes she is amazing, yes she is _mine_! No touching allowed!”

Aloy burst out laughing as soon as they exited the gates. “Vala! What was that?”

Vala turned so she was facing Aloy again, still smiling warmly. “Oh, you know. Just needed to make sure everyone remembered that you’re out of bounds.”

Aloy could feel herself blushing. “Well… there’s only one way to make sure the message gets hammered in.”

Vala’s eyes gleamed. “You’re right, as usual.”

This time, Aloy pulled Vala in for a kiss. After all their months of messaging through their focuses, and pining, and thinking about Vala as she strove towards the goal of fixing the terraforming system, and _finally_ she was here, in her arms… Aloy finally felt at peace. She licked at Vala’s lips a little, tasting her, before pressing her lips open. Vala moaned softly, and Aloy brought her hands up to cradle her face. Vala’s hands fisted in Aloy’s hair, a pleasant sting that kept her anchored in her body when it felt like she was going to float away.

Aloy pulled back when the whistles and calls from the walls of Mother’s Heart finally got to be too much for her.

“Well, I’m sure that showed them,” she said triumphantly. _What_ they were being showed remained a pleasant mystery, but Aloy was more than willing to spend some needed time in order to figure it out.

Vala led her deeper into the Embrace, and Aloy followed, drunk on her presence. Vala pointed out all the things that had changed – and all the things that hadn’t. There were still scrappers around, but they didn’t engage in any type of combat any more. The paths through the Embrace were still roughly the same, but some had become overgrown and some new ones had been made when braves had walked through the area after it had been burned down. Because of that, the plants there hadn’t grown back, and thus a new track was born.

Aloy marvelled at the Embrace, but also at Vala – some part of her couldn’t believe that she was actually here, was actually hearing her girlfriend’s voice. She could lean over and touch Vala if she wanted to. Vala’s hair shined in the afternoon sun, reflecting off her earring and the metal bits in her armour. She was beautiful in this setting, glowing with pride and happiness, reflecting against the natural flourishing of the forest.

She was wearing her armour, Aloy realised dazedly. The Nora Protector armour that she’d left behind almost a year ago. It fit Vala well – it fit Vala _really_ well. She’d kept it. She was _wearing_ it.

Vala looked back at her, and raised an eyebrow at whatever expression Aloy was making. “You alright?”

“Yes,” Aloy said fervently. “Very alright.”

“Okay,” Vala said. “So, have you got anywhere that you actually want to be, or…?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Aloy said, suddenly certain. “There is. Come on.”

Aloy pulled Vala ahead by her hand and together they walked through the forest, smiling and laughing.

The sun spilled free through the trees, which had burnt scars but were still thriving. Aloy couldn’t help but see herself in this forest – how many times had she run through it as  a teenager, intent on escaping Rost’s wrath for her latest stunt? She’s hunted and grown and lived in this place, over this ground, through those trees that used to be saplings. She had grown, in more than one way, and so had Vala – matured into her position as second in command of the Nora war band, right after her mother. Aloy had seen the way that the Nora had backed off when Vala had told them to – she was respected, and people listened to her more than they wanted to be near Aloy.

Vala gleamed with growth in ways that Aloy couldn’t even begin to describe. Just like the forest around them, Vala’s scars were hidden – a part of her, but an old part. A part that had prompted the growth that Aloy was seeing now. It humbled her to know that someone as good as Vala wanted to be with her, when Aloy suspected that any one of the Nora would be eager to claim Vala for their own.

Vala was a twining forest, and Aloy was so deeply in love with her.

“Where do you want to go?” Vala asked.

“Up to my old cabin,” Aloy said. “Have you been there?”

“No,” Vala admitted. “I don’t know what state it’ll be in.”

“It’s got a really nice view from up there,” Aloy said. “I bet you’ve never seen such a wide view of the Embrace.”

“You’ve intrigued me,” Vala admitted. “Okay, show the way.”

Coming from Mother’s Heart, it was extremely easy to hike up into the hills. Aloy watched for the two watchers that guarded the path up to the cabin, but was pleasantly surprised to see them set further back from the path, so they didn’t cross paths any travellers. Aloy stared at them wistfully. She’d grown up with this path and she’d killed the two watchers set here more times than she could count. Now that they were out of the way, she didn’t really have a reason to put them down ever again.

“I took note of your focus data and moved those two units personally,” GAIA whispered in her ear. Aloy grinned.

They came to the top of the path, and Aloy stared up at the cliff that they would have to take to lead them up to the cabin. Her eyes picked out the handholds that were still there. Even though some time had passed since they were last used, Rost had built the path to last, and he’d been especially careful with it. It had been two years since he’d last maintained the path, and Aloy knew that it was more than capable of holding their weight.

“You climbed this regularly?” Vala asked, half joking, half in awe, as she stared at the path that would take them up to the cabin.

“Only after Rost built it when I was eleven,” Aloy admitted. “There’s another path around the back that you can take, but it’s out of the way.”

“Well I’m glad you walked like a normal person when you were a kid,” Vala said as Aloy started up the ladder. “No wonder your arms are so amazing.”

Aloy was glad she was facing the cliff so that Vala didn’t see her pleased smile.

They both made it to the top, and Vala sucked a breath in when she looked over the valley. “Pretty amazing, huh?” Aloy asked, sitting down on the rock. Vala sat down next to her. “You know, I used to come out here and stargaze when I was feeling lonely. I’d make up names for all the stars and pretend that they were my friends.”

Vala makes a sound in the back of her throat. “Mother taught me to find the points in the stars that always pointed north.” She traced a figure in the sky, even though no stars could be seen in the middle of the day. “She said it was so I’d never get lost, even if I was outside the Embrace.”

They stared out over the valley. From here, Aloy couldn’t see any evidence of the Eclipse attack. If she pretended hard enough, then she could almost imagine that she was seventeen again, sighing and waiting for her time to descend to the valley and storm into Mother’s Heart to win the Proving and to demand answers to her origin.

“Did you finish everything with All Mother?” Vala asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” Aloy said. “The core computer is back up and running. The cauldrons provided the parts, and now that she’s directing them personally, I’m sure that the next time I’m there, there will be a whole brand new facility waiting for me.” Aloy looked at Vala. “And I told you, her name is GAIA.”

Vala shrugged one shoulder. “I know, but it still feels weird to call her that. Even after everything you told me about her. She’s still the All Mother, after all.”

“Maybe if she introduces herself you’ll change your mind,” Aloy said shrewdly. Vala’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Put your focus on,” Aloy prompted. She’d taken one from the ELEUTHIA-9 cradle and given it to Vala – that was how they’d stayed in touch, even though Aloy was north of Carja territory. Using the Spire and the tallnecks scattered around the world, Aloy could almost stay in touch with anyone with a focus, now. And that wasn’t even with the ‘satellites’ that GAIA said she wanted to get back online.

Vala fished her focus out of one of her pouches, and Aloy synced her focus to Vala’s.

“Hello Vala.” GAIA’s voice was smooth in Aloy’s ear. “Aloy’s told me so much about you. Please, call me GAIA.”

“Gaia,” Vala said reverently. “Um.”

Aloy laughed at her expression. “GAIA is just another person to talk to. You’re not usually this starstruck around anyone.”

Vala shot Aloy a betrayed look. “I’m very happy that you are healed and watching over us again,” Vala said respectfully.

“I am healed, thanks to Aloy,” GAIA said. “And thanks to you. Aloy told me how instrumental you were in the final battle, and I doubt she would have been as motivated to fix me if she didn’t want to leave and see you.”

“Ahh,” Vala said. They looked at each other, both of them blushing.

“Aloy synced your focus to my network, so anytime you wish to speak to me, simply talk to me with your focus activated,” GAIA instructed.

“Thank you,” Vala said, bowing her head slightly. “Goodbye… Gaia.” She took her focus off and stared at her. “ _Aloy_.”

“I told you she’s not going to bite,” Aloy laughed. “And don’t feel shy about talking to her if you want to. She’s got enough core processors going on that she can deal with it. And,” Aloy paused for a moment. “I think she gets lonely. No one’s talked to her in a very long time.” Aloy brightened. “I was planning on heading north as soon as possible so I can link CYAN up to the network so they can talk to each other. I think it’ll be good for them.”

“They can talk in their computer language,” Vala agreed. “And faster than us, at any rate.” She levelled a look at Aloy. “You should have gone there first.”

“And miss seeing my best girl?” Aloy snuggled up to her side. “I think not.”

Vala smiled. “Well, I can’t argue with you there. I’m glad that you’re here.” She sighed. “Maybe I can convince my mum to let me take a break and I can come with you. I’ve always wanted to see a real Banuk village.”

“You should!” Aloy said, enthused. “It’ll be awesome having you come along!”

“Gotta get past my mum first though,” Vala said, only half joking. “I think she wants everyone to forget that most braves are technically Seekers.”

“Well, I’ll remind her,” Aloy said staunchly. “Besides, she can’t say no if I ask, can she? I’ll just tell her that I need you for a very important job.”

“And what’s that?” Vala asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Keeping me warm in their freezing cold nights, of course,” Aloy said slyly. Vala laughed.

“Well, you’ve convinced me,” she said. “I’ll talk to mum and see what I can swing.”

“Good,” Aloy said, a warm feeling kindling in her chest. “I look forward to it.” Stretching, she stood up and jumped down from the rock. “Come on! There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“There’s someone living in your old house?”

“Not exactly,” Aloy said.

The bridge was still sturdy when Aloy set foot on it, even though she’d been prepared for it to have fallen through. Rost must have made it out of tougher wood than she’d realised. As their old windbreak came into view, Aloy felt her heart swelling with some unnamed emotion that still brought tears to her eyes. It was a bit the worse for wear, having endured two winters without any upkeep, but it was still clearly a wall – still clearly something that Aloy had helped Rost create, with their own hands.

“This place is pretty big,” Vala said, sounding impressed. “I didn’t know that there was such a nice spot up here.”

“It _is_ nice,” Aloy said, affirming the words. She took a breath. She didn’t have to see what was beyond those walls – at least, not now. Instead, she turned to the grave tucked into the side of the mountain. Made mostly of stone, it had survived the elements. The Nora knew how to build things that would last. The Sacred Lands were beautiful, but often harsh.

Aloy knelt at the side of the grave, wiping away some of the snow. “Hey Rost,” she said quietly. “It’s been a while, huh? There’s so much I want to tell you.”

Vala knelt down beside her, respectfully silent. Aloy smiled at her. “This is Vala. She’s pretty awesome.”

Vala laughed. “Hi Rost.”

Aloy crinkled a smile at her. “We met the night before the Proving. Pretty symbolic how you left my life and you entered it.” Aloy glanced at Vala. “You’re both very important to me. And yes, she’s good to me and you don’t have to come back from beyond your grave to warn her or anything. Honestly I think her mother does the warning for both of us, ha. I’ve got GAIA Prime back up and running, and I finally know my old question, so I’ve been thinking about what I want to do now.” Vala smiled at her. “If GAIA needs anything, then obviously I’m there. But beyond that… well.”

Aloy smiled, tilting her head up. “It’s all in the air. But I’d like to come and see you more often.”

Slowly, she stood up. Vala threaded their fingers together. “I miss him so much,” Aloy murmured.

“I’m sure that he would be proud of you,” Vala said. “You’ve accomplished so much.”

They cleared off the grave some more before Aloy started walking up to the house.

It was just like she’d left it. Before leaving for Meridian, she’d come back up here, and closed the cabin up. She’d taken all the food away, either bringing it with her or giving it to the Nora. She’d taken down everything outside that could move, all the baskets and smoking racks, and piled them neatly inside. Then she’d closed up the all the windows, before finally barricading the door shut, hoping that those measures would keep the house dry and animal free until she could come back.

One of the windows had broken open, but the door was still firmly closed. Together they opened it, cracking open the wood.

There was a spill of snow inside next to the open window, but it was easy to clean up. Vala investigated the odds and ends while Aloy checked that everything was in order. Besides the air being a bit musty, everything seemed fine.

“Well, this is it,” Aloy said, opening her arms. “Place where I grew up.”

“It’s cosy,” Vala said, peering into the small nook that Aloy had always slept in.

“Most of the stuff in here is meant to be outside,” Aloy said a bit awkwardly.

“I’m just used to living in a lodge,” Vala admitted. “This is a small space for ten people, but it’s more than enough for just two.”

“Yeah,” Aloy said, cheered. “Let’s set the fire – that’ll burn away this smell.”

There was a small supply of wood, but Vala proclaimed that it wasn’t enough, and went outside to go and find some more. Aloy took the opportunity to move things around so they were better stacked, freeing up her bedspace and giving them more room to walk around in. She looked around. It was weird being here, alone with Vala. Aloy was half expecting Rost to walk in through the door. She’d still been grief stricken when she’d come in here last, but with time and patience with herself, Aloy could think about Rost without wanting to cry anymore.

“I’m at peace,” she murmured to the room. “I hope you are too.”

Feeling lighter, Aloy helped Vala bring in a few solid branches that were green but not too snow wet. Aloy used all of the old wood first and put the new wood close to the fire so it could hopefully dry out a little before they fed it to the flames.

“It’s nice in here,” Vala admitted. They were sharing some of Aloy’s jerky. “It really reminds me of you.”

Aloy laughed. “Only because you know that I lived here.”

“Maybe,” Vala admitted. “But it still does. You know, how the walls are tough but will protect you.” She eyed some of Aloy’s old wooden playthings, carved watchers and lancehorns. “Soft on the inside.”

“Hey,” Aloy said, knocking her with her shoulder. “I’m soft on the outside too.”

Vala’s lips curled. “You are,” she admitted. “I admire it. I wish I could show some softness on the outside as well.”

“Well you can show it to me,” Aloy said softly. “You can show anything to me.”

Vala’s eyes glinted in the firelight. Slowly, she leaned over and kissed Aloy. Aloy pressed back, intent on Vala’s touch. They’d barely stopped touching since they’d been reunited. She knew that Vala had missed her just as much as Aloy had missed Vala.

Aloy slid her lips along Vala’s jaw, tongue tasting the soft skin. Vala grabbed the front of her shirt loosely, an encouragement without words. Vala cupped Aloy’s jaw with her free hand, and Aloy cherished the roughness on her hands – they were _real_ in a way that she’d been imagining for so long.

“Did you bring me all the way up here just to seduce me?” Vala asked, laughter in her voice.

“Well,” Aloy drawled. “It wasn’t the _only_ reason.”

Vala laughed, throwing her head back. Aloy stared at her, breath catching. She was _beautiful._

“I can hardly refuse an invitation like that,” Vala said cheekily.

Aloy shook her head, and met Vala’s smile with one of her own as their lips collided again, a single rock to start the avalanche between them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE THEM SO MUCH
> 
> This fic is so soft and probably one of my favs for this month


End file.
